Avatar: The Weight
by Begger17
Summary: Aang has trouble dealing with the burden and pressures of the keeping the legacy of the Air Nation alive. This comes to fruition when his entire world is threatened and he must rely on Katara, Sokka, and Suki to help him take down this new threat, as well as make peace within himself. Includes Kataang and Sukka moments.
1. Chapter One: The Weight

The white sand burned under his feet as Aang searched for the perfect spot for him and Katara to set up their picnic and enjoy such a beautiful day at the beach. Above, the sky was as blue as the peaceful ocean before them. A slight breeze kept them cool from the hot afternoon sun. Looking up, Aang spotted a baby reptile-hawk circling above, exerting little energy by allowing the air to keep it afloat as it glided through the clouds – just as the monks had taught him as a child.

"I'm gonna go for a glide, be back in a minute, sweetie."

Katara just rolled her eyes and giggled realizing her boyfriend was still the same twelve-year-old she and Sokka had found in that iceberg eight years prior.

Aang popped open his glider and caught a gust of wind that propelled him up into the sky so that he could join his new friend. Like all baby animals, the reptile-hawk was very playful and the two quickly engaged in a competitive game of air-tag. They soared through the air speeding up, slowing down, ascending, descending – almost crashing on multiple occasions. Aang hadn't had this much fun in the air since…

"Whoa. I guess I lost track of the time." He looked up only to realize that the coast was nowhere in sight, he must've drifted miles away from the shore. "I better head back," He told his new friend, "before Katara worries." The hawk squawked in agreement and the two pulled a one-eighty and headed back towards the beach.

Suddenly the sky began to darken. "That's strange, it was clear just a moment ago."

BOOM! BANG! The heavens roared with and enormous clap of thunder before the sky opened up and it began saturating the earth. The rain soon became torrential, Aang could barely see in front of him as he tried with all his might to get back to the beach. The winds became more powerful with every passing minute; it was becoming increasingly difficult to maneuver through the air with his glider. He struggled to stay above the rising waves.

SCREECH! Aang looked to his right. Through the downpour he could barely make out his new friend who was also struggling against the strong winds. Suddenly, a powerful gust knocked it out of the sky and down into the water. Aang turned and began to descend towards the hawk, but he was too slow. A giant wave rose from the water and swallowed the hawk, depositing it into the belly of the ocean.

"NO!" Aang retracted his glider wings and dove head first into the crashing waves. The water was frigid and so powerful; he immediately started to lose the feeling in his limbs. Under the water was dark and silent, in complete contrast to the mayhem that rocked the surface. He squinted, trying his very best to see any trace at all of the baby reptile-hawk. Out of the corner of his eye he finally saw something; a gleam of color in the dark water. He began to feverishly swim towards the object. As he got closer to it he realized that the color he saw was not the red feather of a reptile-hawk, but the orange fibers of a robe… an airbender's robe!

Swimming faster now, he finally got himself close enough to the object to make out what he was trying to rescue; it was…a baby!? An airbender baby? What!?

Overwhelmed with confusion, he kicked his legs and spiraled towards the abandoned child. Its eyes were closed but he could feel its life energy – though it was quickly fading. With one final attempt, he tucked his limbs into his body, held it there momentarily, before kicking out with all of his power. The water helped propel him towards the baby and as he finally reached the child he noticed something strange. Around the baby's neck floated sandalwood meditation beads that looked to have been carved by a child, because they were. Aang immediately recognized them, but he couldn't believe what he was looking at. _My beads_, he thought, thinking back to when he crafted them for Monk Gyatso, over one hundred years ago.

Confused, he lunged towards the child; his hand was just about to grasp its tiny wrist, he stretched out his fingers, using all of his reach until he finally…WHAM! A large piece of debris smacked into him, knocking him away from the child. He worked to regain control but by the time he did the baby was gone.

Desperate for air, Aang used his tuck and explode waterbending move to thrust himself towards the surface. His head broke through the water and he gasped loudly, urging the fresh air to travel deep into his lungs. The storm seemed to be over, the black clouds drifted towards the horizon, replaced by a blood red sky. Aang crawled up onto the shore, sand sticking to his entire body, and jumped on Appa. The giant bison took him high into the sky, flying for a long time towards a faraway mountain range, until he could barely make out a silhouette against the scarlet sky.

_That looks manmade_, he thought as he pressed Appa to fly faster. _That looks like a… an Air Temple!_

The sky bison continued to pick up speed as he barreled towards the mountains, the outline of the Temple becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second. They were close now; Aang could see the intricate details of the temple: the architecture, the monuments, the people…the people?

They were everywhere. Dressed in classic airbender robes; thousands of people populated this lost temple. They were shopping, playing, meditating, training…airbending!

"Appa, I c-can't believe it! I'm not the last one, boy!" A small tear began to well in his eye. "C'mon we need to get down there! Yip, yip."

The bison groaned in agreement and began to descend upon the hidden temple.

SNIFF. "That's strange… do you smell smoke?"

Appa groaned again and started to pull away from the temple.

"Wha-!?" Aang looked up in terror as the entire Temple was ablaze. Flames began to swallow the beautiful monuments; the large stone structures came crashing down towards the people. They were helpless, running for shelter and screaming for a miracle.

Aang quickly stood up on Appa's back and began to bend the water from the clouds in the sky and push them towards the temple, but it wasn't enough. The fire continued to grow and spread throughout the temple. He closed his eyes, concentrating for just a moment – the blue arrow tattoos on his body began to glow white. Feeling the power surge through his veins, he summoned the water from the ocean hundreds of feet below. He created a small title wave in the sky and used all of his strength to push the wave towards the mountainside, dousing the entire temple in salt water.

Falling to one knee out of exhaustion, he looked up to see if he has saved what remained of his people. "No…"

The temple continued to burn. The citizens looked up to him, hovering in the sky, "You didn't save us, Avatar. You left us, Avatar Aang. You failed us, Aang. Aang. Aang. Aang." The thousands of voices meshed into one, it became distant and familiar – he couldn't get it out of his head.

"No, I didn't- I tried- No. No. NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Darkness.

Sweat beaded down his face. He was sitting up on his bed, a small flame eating the edge of the covers, but quickly put out with a splash of water. Aang looked over and saw Katara sitting on the side of the bed, tending to a small burn on her arm.

"Katara! Did I-? I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Aang, really." She reassured, "but are you?" She took his trembling hand in hers, worry in her eyes.

"I'm ok-," He watched as she tilted her head, her eyes staring into his, imploring him to tell the truth. "I had a horrible nightmare." He dropped his head as if it were too heavy for his neck to hold up.

"Like the others?"

"Worse."

He sat up against the headboard, now using his hands to hold up his head. She could tell that he wasn't ready to talk about this one. So she curled up next to him and rested her head on his chest. Her warmth was welcomed as he felt his tension quickly melt away. Several minutes passed before either of them spoke again.

"What if I can't bring them back? The Air Nation, my people…"

"Aang," Katara traced the blue arrow on his hand with her finger, "don't feel like you have to shoulder this weight on your own. That responsibility falls on both of us now." She touched her new betrothal necklace, "We _will_ bring back the Air Nation, together. I promise." She interlocked her fingers with his and kissed his hand.

"I love you, Katara." He rested his head on hers and calmly fell back asleep.


	2. Chapter Two: The Beach

Did a quick edit to clean up some typos and continuity errors, nothing major. Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p>"It's not like Aang and Katara to be this late…" Suki craned her neck to see through to the front of the café.<p>

"Ahhh, Katara's probably just taking forever to get her hair loopies perfectly symmetrical." Sokka suggested whilst stuffing his third breakfast roll down his throat.

"Hey guys!" The younger couple arrived on queue and sat down across from Sokka and Suki. "Sorry we're late…it was kind of a long night."

Sokka wiped his mouth with his arm, "She better not mean what I think she means," he said, pointing across the table at Aang, "You may be the Avatar, but she's still my little sister!"

"Sokka!" Katara and Suki yelled simultaneously. He raised his hands to suggest his innocence before gesturing towards Aang, as if to say _I'm watching you, kid_, before bringing his focus back to his plate.

The girls rolled their eyes in unison and moved on from the subject.

"So, are you guys ready to hit the beach and relax for the next few days?" Suki asked, stretching her arm around Sokka and squeezing his neck in excitement, "It's been so long since we vacationed."

An unsettling silence fell over the younger couple, both thinking back to the subject of Aang's horrible dream the previous night.

"Can't wait!" Katara finally said, "It's always nice to get the gang back together again. Speaking of which, where are Toph, Zuko, and Mai?"

"Toph said she'd rather go toe to toe with a herd of platypus bears than spend a week surrounded by sand and water." Sokka explained.

"And Zuko said that the beach isn't really Mai's favorite setting." Suki added.

They all shrugged and continued eating their breakfast, exchanging stories and catching each other up on their lives since last they met.

Aang swallowed his last pastry and took a deep breath before slouching in his seat, completely satisfied. "Ahh, that was great!"

"Yeah, thanks for breakfast, Sokka." Katara dabbed her mouth with a napkin, a wry grin crossing her face.

"You're very wel- Wait, what?!"

"You're not going to make your little sister pay for her meal…"

"Well I suppose…"

"And, uhh, I'm providing the transportation." Aang grinned, quickly standing and escorting Katara outside.

"That's true, but…hey wait!" He looked at Suki, "Do you believe this?"

"Don't look at me, _boyfriend_." She said, playfully, before kissing him on the cheek and joining the others outside.

Stone-faced, Sokka rummaged through his pocket until finding enough money to pay the bill. He threw the coins on the table and sulked the entire way out to Appa.

Ember Island had become one of the top vacation spots in the world ever since the Harmony Restoration Movement. Citizens of all nations visited to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, sun, sand, and social culture. The sun's warmth shone on the foursome as they searched for the perfect area to set up.

"How about here?" Suki suggested.

"Hmm…too crowded." Sokka insisted, "Let's keep moving."

"This looks like a good spot." Aang said, a few moments later.

"Too sunny."

"Isn't that why we brought an umbr-?"

"Keep moving!"

"Ahh, look! The perfect spot!" Katara ran over to an area of baron, untouched sand before anyone else could claim it. "Not too crowded, some nice shade from those trees…"

They all looked at Sokka.

He thought for a moment, examined the area. "Too sandy."

"Just sit down!" They all yelled and quickly set up their blankets.

It took a few moments to get situated, but before long they were all fully relaxed and enjoying their first day of vacation.

Sokka positioned himself on the sand, face tilted towards the sun, hand intertwined with Suki's, "All I need to make this day perfect is an ice cold drink with one of those small little umbrella's in it."

Katara laughed, "I'll go get us some refreshments."

" Best. Sister. Ever."

"So a margarita for Suki, a strawberry daiquiri for Sokka, a pina colada for myself, and a virgin for you, right, sweetie?" They all shared a laugh at the underage Avatar's expense.

"It would be irresponsible for me, as the avatar, to drink alcohol anyway, Katara" Aang yelled as he floated in the water; Momo, who resting on his chest, squeaked in agreement.

"Whatever you say, Junior." Katara teased as she made her way to the small refreshment hut across the street from the beach.

It was a hot summer afternoon and the line for drinks stretched all the way out of the door and around the corner. Katara took her place at the back and patiently waited for her turn in line. Inch by inch she slowly approached the counter. Eventually giving in to the boredom, Katara found herself eavesdropping on nearby conversations just to pass the time.

"So, did you hear the big news?" A dark haired girl a few places ahead of her asked her friend.

The friend shook her head.

"Apparently the Avatar is here!"

"Really!?"

The girl nodded, "You think I can get him to teach me some bending?" She smirked.

Katara's eyebrow twitched, but she took a deep, relaxing breath to calm herself. She refused to be bothered by petty conversations on her vacation, so she turned her attention from the girls and back towards the beach where a cooling breeze floated off the water.

"You are with the Avatar, no?" The man in front of her, a Fire Nation citizen, turned and asked.

She nodded.

"He and Fire Lord Zuko are doing great things, bringing honor back to the Fire Nation. You should be very proud." He smiled and bowed his head before turning back in line.

She couldn't help a small smile from crossing her face as she stared out over the beach. It was gratifying to hear such a genuine appreciation of their efforts. It's nice to be reminded of why you do what you do.

Over on the corner of the street sat a man in ripped clothing, a sparrowkeet on his shoulder. A small, dinky cup sat at his feet, looking for any extra change from passerby's as he played a beautiful harmony with his bamboo flute. Every four or five people would throw a copper coin in the cup and continue on their way – there were more important things on their minds: finding a good spot on the beach, catching a giant wave, getting enough hours of sunlight.

Katara lifted herself onto her toes, craning her neck to see how far she was from the counter. She knew she should help the man, but she was also really thirsty.

"Gah,"She reluctantly left her spot in line and approached the man, grabbing three silver coins from her pouch and dropping them in the cup. They made a hollow jangle as they landed in the empty goblet. The man nodded his thanks and continued playing, his sparrowkeet contributing a note here and there until the song had ended.

"Thank you so much for your generosity, miss. Nakama and I were beginning to lose hope there."

Katara laughed as the little bird flapped its wings and chirped its thanks. "You're very welcome; thank you for playing such beautiful music for us all." She pet the bird with her finger.

"Uhh, here, let me give you something for your kindness."

Katara refused, "That's not necessary, sir, your music was more than enough."

"No, please," He insisted, grabbing a small mug from inside his pouch and filling it with liquid from a canteen around his waist. He handed the small mug to Katara. "It's hebal tea…iced."

"Well I could go for some tea." Katara said, looking over at the refreshment line that seemed to have tripled since she left.

She took the mug and drained the tea in just two gulps, "Tastes very…unique. What type of tea did you say this was?"

"Herbal. Handpicked from the mountainside."

She went to place the mug back on the man's cooler but missed and watched as it fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how I…"

"No worries." The man said, bending over to pick up the mug.

She took a step back and tripped over nothing in particular, staggering a few paces before catching herself. Her mind felt slow, like her body was moving faster than she could think. She looked up at the man, who just stared back, indifferently, the mug still cradled in his hand.

"Did you…" Her voice sounded distant, "Did you drug me?"

He struck before she could react. Three, lightning quick, jabs to three different pressure points on her back – her body went limp and began to fall to the ground only to be helplessly grabbed by the strange man. An awful sensation raced up her spine – it was familiar… she had been chi blocked.

"Aan…gggg!" She tried to yell before a hand was placed over her mouth.

"Did you hear something?" The old Fire Nation citizen turned to ask the young water tribe girl, only to realize that she was gone. He quickly looked up to where he heard the commotion and saw her struggling with a strange man.

Adrenaline kicked in, helping her fend off the effects of the tea. She bit the hand and freed her mouth for just a moment, "Aang!" She screamed again, before being gagged with a rag. She continued to struggle as much as she could before being dragged to a nearby alleyway.

Back on the beach Katara's scream was barely audible, but something else caught Aang's attention, as he peacefully floated in the salt water. A man ran towards the beach, desperately waving his arms.

"What's going on over there?"

"I don't know," Sokka said, standing and blocking the sun from his eyes, "Think we should check it out?"

Suki saw where they were looking, "Isn't that where Katara went to get drinks?"

Suddenly the old man came rushing down to them, screaming for Aang. "Avatar, Avatar! There's a man, he just took a your friend – he dragged her into that alleyway!"

"Katara!" Sokka yelled, rushing over to where the man pointed. Aang bended the water and shot himself out of the ocean and onto the beach, right on Sokka's heels.

"Avatar help!" A plea came from back behind them, towards the beach.

Aang turned and saw a young Earth Kingdom couple waving frantically to get his attention, and pointing towards the water, terror written on their faces, "Our child is caught out there, please save him!"

He looked out at the ocean and saw the small child, no older than eight, struggling against the strong waves. _Katara_, he thought as he temporarily froze – knowing what he needed to do, but not wanting to make the choice.

"Go Aang, we'll get Katara!" Suki yelled back as she and Sokka hurried up the beach.

He nodded, turned towards the water and bended a board of ice that he jumped on and rode out towards the child. The boy was close now, still struggling, about to go under. Aang dove into the water and propelled himself at the child. "Don't worry, kid, I've got…" He reached out for the little boy, but just before he could grab him he saw the airbender child that he couldn't save in his dream. The wave took the boy under; the parents watched in horror and began to sob on the beach.

_No_. Aang dove beneath the surface, just as he had in his dream. The boy was reaching out to him, trying his best to stay close. He reached out and wrapped his hand around the boy's tiny wrist and pulled him into his body before kicking back up to the surface.

"GASP!" They both swallowed the fresh air down into their lungs as they broke the surface, but the ocean was unrelenting. Another wave quickly pulled them back under, plunging them deep into the ocean. Unwilling to be denied, Aang focused his energy and entered the Avatar state. The boy watched, wide-eyed, as the avatar's eyes and tattoo's began to glow, lighting up the ocean around them.

The entire beach was now watching tensely as he and the boy rose up, out of the water. They began to cheer as he and the boy made their way back to shore when suddenly, Aang was back in his nightmare. The boy wore the same robes as the child in his dreams. The beach was replaced by the burning Air Temple.

"No! It's just…"

"Oh no!" The citizens yelled in horror as Aang fell out of the Avatar State and dropped out of the sky, back into the ocean below. He desperately tried to re-enter the Avatar State but it was of no use, his energy was being blocked somehow.

He looked down at the boy; he was struggling, swallowing a lot of water. The child returned his gaze, desperation filled his big, innocent eyes.

Using all of his remaining energy, Aang waterbended he and the boy back into the air. The coast was far now. He took the child and threw him out into the open air in front of him before bending an incredibly powerful gust of air that pushed the child halfway to the shore. He then spun and kicked a current up the water that ripped through the waves and carried the boy the rest of the way, back safely into his parent's arms. Everyone on the beach watched in awe at the sheer power of his bending. He remained in the air just long enough to see the reunion before losing consciousness and falling back into the crashing waves.

Sokka and Suki rushed towards Katara, directed by citizens that had seen the encounter. The man had thrown Katara over his shoulder and weaved in and out of the streets trying to lose his pursuers, but with no luck.

They chased him into a small market that led to nowhere.

"Take the high road." Sokka yelled to Suki who nodded and broke away.

The man reached the end of the street and turned, contemplating his options.

"We've caught you. Now give me my sister before I turn her avatar boyfriend loose on you."

The man smirked and took off towards a small alleyway between two buildings – Sokka just smiled as Suki flipped off of the roof of a nearby building and landed directly in front of him. He threw a quick jab with his free arm that was easily blocked and countered by Suki, pushing him back into a corner.

"It's over." Sokka said.

"Not yet, children." The man spat, "This is only the beginning."

Sokka scoffed at the cliché and cautiously watched as the man slowly rested Katara's limp body onto the ground. He leaned in close to her, whispered in her ear, and smiled before flipping away and escaping up a nearby building.

"Katara, are you okay?" Suki knelt next to her injured friend before Sokka rushed over and embraced his little sister.

"I'm fine," She said, weakly, "He chi blocked me."

"What did he want?"

"He didn't say, but…"

"What?"

"Nothing." She lied, "Where's Aang?"

"He was going after some kid in the water when we left. C'mon, let's get you back to the beach." He picked her up and carried her back to the shore where everyone was staring into the ocean.

"What's going on?" Katara asked.

"The Avatar went out to save some kid," A nearby Earth Kingdom woman answered.

"Yeah, did he get him?" Sokka asked.

"He got the kid," The woman said, "pushed him back to the shore, but then he just fell back in."

"What!?"

The woman nodded, "a couple of people went out to look for him but they couldn't get out far enough."

"How long has he been out there?"

"It's got to be about five minutes, I'd guess."

"Suki take Katara, I need to find him."

"It's too far, Sokka! You'll never be able to swim all the way out there and carry him all the way back." Suki urged.

Sokka dropped his head. He knew she was right. "Katara, can you bend yet?"

Suki helped her to her feet. Her legs could just barely hold her weight up. She shook her head, a tear running down her cheek.

"I can waterbend," A little girl timidly approached, encouraged by her parents, "a little…"

The three shared a quick glance.

"Well we have no other choice," Sokka said, turning to the girl, "Can you push me all the way out to the last spot you saw my friend?"

The girl nodded.

Suki quickly reached out and grabbed Sokka's arm, "I think I should go, Sokka."

"What? No, it's too…"

"I'm a Keyoshi warrior, I weigh less than you, so she can push me farther, and I'm a better swimmer."

There was no time to argue, Sokka just nodded and instructed the girl what to do before turning back to Suki and softly kissing her on the mouth. "Go get him."

She nodded and looked to Katara as if to reassure her.

Katara talked the girl through her technique and before long Suki was riding a wave that took her far out into the blue ocean.

"Aang!" She yelled out, hoping for, but not really expecting a response, before diving under the surface.

The salty water burned her eyes, her nose, her throat. She frantically circled the area, searching in every direction before spotting a limp body being thrashed by the waves. She popped her head out of the water and took a deep breath before diving back under and swimming hard towards the body. She quickly recognized it as Aang and thrust herself through the warm water until reaching her unconscious friend. He floated, motionless, eyes closed, no signs of life.

She grabbed him around the waist and kicked with all of her strength. Even under water she was struggling with his dead weight. The muscles in her legs burned, but she kept kicking against the strong current. The pressure on her lungs was outrageous, feeling as if they could burst at any moment. She continued kicking, kicking, kicking until she could vaguely feel the warmth of the sun's rays piercing through the top player of water. Finally she broke the surface, allowing herself just a few deep breaths before turning towards the beach and pointing her thumb towards the sky.

Sweat saturated Sokka's face as he peered through his pirate's glass, looking for Suki. It seemed like she had been out there for hours, but, in reality, he knew that it had only been a few minutes. Finally, he saw a tiny head pop out of the water. "There, it's Suki, and she's got Aang! Quick, kid, bring them back!"

Katara, who was finaly beginning to get her chi flowing, helped the little girl bend the water and pull the two safely back to the shore. Suki crawled onto the beach and rested Aang on the sand. Katara knelt beside him and, with the entire beach looking on, began to bend the water out of his lungs and up through his mouth.

Aang woke with a cough, staring into Katara's deep, blue eyes, as he had done so many times before. "I never get tired of being brought back to life by you." He said weakly.

She threw her arms around him before kissing hard while the entire beach cheered.

"Hey," Sokka turned to Suki, "you did good, babe." He kissed her softly on the cheek and pulled her close.

"Avatar!" The young couple with the small boy approached.

Katara helped him up to a sitting position, as the boy ran up and threw his arms around him.

"Thank you so much for saving our son, Avatar." They bowed graciously, tears running down there cheeks. "We are forever grateful."

Aang nodded.

"What were you doing all the way out there anyway, little guy?" Sokka asked.

"The man said that there were turtle seals out there, and if I swam out to them they would let me ride on their shells." He said, enthusiastically.

"What man?" The boy's mother asked.

"The man who sang with the sparrowkeet."

"What!?" Katara grabbed the boy.

"What's wrong, Katara?"Aang asked, confused.

"That was _him_."


	3. Chapter Three: The Night

The mahogany door swung open as Sokka entered the two-bedroom suite, which was generously offered to them when the hotel owner realized that the Avatar would be staying at his establishment. Usually, such excessive special treatment was something that Aang would modestly turn down, but Sokka accepted the upgraded room on his behalf before he could.

"Alright," Sokka said, reaching into the paper bag with a dragon emblazoned on the front, "Noodles for Katara and myself, the veggie dish for Aang, and rice for you, babe."

"Thanks for picking all of this up, Sokka, I don't know if Aang and I were up to eating out tonight." She looked over to her betrothed who quickly nodded in agreement before swallowing a leek.

"Yeah, don't mention it." He shrugged, "You two had a rough day."

"We've survived worse." Aang winked at Katara, still clinging to his positivity.

"Still," Suki added, "it brings up so many questions…who is this guy? What did he want with Katara? How did he know we were on Ember Island…?"

"I'm sure he was just a common street criminal." Katara began to shrug it off before her brother interjected.

"That's why I intend to start a full scale investigation on the matter, first thing in the morning! Aang, you can join me if you'd like."

"What about me?" Katara asked, indignation in her voice.

"It'd probably be best if you stayed here, under Suki's protection – that sicko could still be out there."

I think I'd feel safer if Katara was with me," Aang began, "no offense to Suki, but I _am _the most powerful bender among us…and Katara is about to become my wife."

"She'll be fine here, Aang. Nobody knows where we're staying and on the off chance that something does happen while we're gone, Suki and Katara are perfectly capable of defending themselves. Just think of it as a bachelor's party; it'll be a blast!" This drew the ire of Katara and Suki who glared at him from across the room. "All kosher, I promise."

"If we're so capable, then why don't we launch our very own investigation – loser has to bathe Appa for the next six months." Suki suggested, a devilish grin crossing her face.

"Now that sounds like a plan!" Katara laughed, "I'm in."

"I don't know, Kata…" Aang began to voice his uncertainty with the idea, only to be immediately cut off by Sokka.

"You ladies are on!"

Home, if you could even call it that. A lonely man approached the small, dilapidated apartment building on the outskirts of Ember Island's main tourist beach. The man held a small cooler in one hand and a hand-made bamboo flute in the other; a small sparrowkeet sat atop his shoulder, trying to hide from the light rain that had begun to fall. Dried sand coated his feet, indicating that he had come from the beach, which one may have a hard time guessing seeing as he was dressed head to toe in heavy, black robes.

The owner of the building, a heavy-set Fire Nation citizen, watched form his office as the man approached the building.

"Hey, Shin!" He stepped out into the drizzle, "You ever plan on paying for your room? You owe me three month's rent! "

"What's that?" The man named Shin looked up, oblivious, as if he had been lost deep in his thoughts. "Oh that's right. My apologies; I'll get it to you as soon as I can." His head fell back to his chest as he began to climb the stairs towards his apartment.

"You'll get it to me by next week or you're out of here, Shin." The landlord yelled up the stairwell.

Shin just weakly nodded, already having returned to his thoughts, and continued up the stairs.

_What a whack-job._

Inside, the apartment was immaculate; the bamboo floors were spotless, the kitchen utensils were neatly hanging on the wall; even the bird's cage was kept polished and unsoiled. Shin placed the sparrowkeet in its metal home before heading to the kitchen to fix up a meal for himself.

"What happened out there?"

Shin buried his head in his hands, "I acted too spontaneously. I didn't think the plan through, not all the way. A mistake that I won't allow again."

"If anything, you learned more about your target…"

Shin raised his head, stared out at nothing in particular, "This is true." He turned away from his food and stroked his chin, "the other two seemed just as willing to risk their lives for the girl; they must be an extremely close group."

"This can be exploited. You need to rethink your plan with this new information."

"Yes. I need to exploit the strength of their relationships – find a weakness; then I can deliver the initial blow. Then the movement can truly begin."

"Exactly. But don't act on emotion. Meditate on this new knowledge. Sleep on it. Then, when you have approached the situation from every possible angle, devise a plan and act on it."

The faintest of smiles crossed Shin's face as he sat down with his meal, turning to the sparrowkeet that was still sitting in its cage, "Thank you for your wisdom."

The tranquil sound of the waves crashing against the beach funneled into the bedroom through the open balcony, creating a peaceful and soothing ambience. But neither Aang nor Katara was sleeping. Both suffered from potent thoughts infecting their minds, unsure if they should burden their partner with such concern after such a strenuous day. A chasm split the mattress as they laid facing away from each other, their secrets acting as an invisible barrier; neither comfortable with the silence, yet both unaware of how to approach the subject.

Whoosh. The waves continued to tumble outside, kissing the shore.

_He needs to know. _

_I need to tell her._

Whooshh.

_But it could break him._

_I already know what she'll say._

Whooshhh.

_He doesn't need to be burdened by such horrible news, not right now._

_I shouldn't force any more stress on her._

Whooshhhh.

_He has a right to know…_

_I need her to help me through this…_

"Aa…"

"Katara, I need to tell you something."

She rolled over to face him, a glimmer of moonlight danced across her face. "What is it, sweetie?"

"When I was out there today, trying to save that boy…I couldn't – I fell out of the Avatar State, It tried, but I couldn't stimulate it again. I still can't" He looked down, unable to hold her gaze.

"That only happens when your chakras are blocked and the energy can't flow freely through your body. Is something bothering you? Blocking your chi?"

Her hand touched his cheek, forcing him to look into her icy, blue eyes. They were so comforting, therapeutic, consoling… he realized how stupid he was to ever feel he needed to keep anything from her.

"It's the dream, Katara, the nightmare; it's haunting me. While I was out there I saw it all over again, I relived it: the Air Nation baby, the burning temple, the pressure, the disappointment…"

"Aang…" Katara spoke softly, shifting closer to the young avatar and hugging him around the waist, her head tucked under his chin. "Don't be ashamed. These are natural emotions to feel for someone in your situation. I'm not going to begin to try and understand what you're going through, but I am always here to help you through it. You can talk to me about anything, you know that."

"You're right, sweetie, I'm just worrying myself. I mean, we already talked about this…we're in this together, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Katara's jaw tightened.

He took a deep, relaxing breath, collecting all of his worries from deep inside and purging them from his body and mind, her head rising and falling with his chest.

"Everything is going to work out, we're going to build a family and rebuild the Air Nation… together." He kissed her on the head and closed his eyes.

She could feel him drifting off. This conversation was supposed to calm her but instead she lay wide-awake, his words replaying in her head, his trust haunting her. She began to feel the weight that he was holding, the burden, the pressure. She felt as if she were trapped inside his nightmare. A tear streamed down her cheek as she thought about all the things she, again, didn't say. Their relationship was built on trust and she wasn't holding up her side of the deal. But how could she tell the person she loves that she was going to have to break her promise. That, as of that day, she was would not be able to start a family with him.


	4. Chapter Four: The Investigation

Katara woke late the next morning as the smell of Sokka's famous breakfast sandwiches wafted into the bedroom. She rolled over to notice that Aang had already gotten up; the sheets were still warm from where his body had laid.

"Hey, rise and shine, sis." Sokka said, setting her up with a plate.

"Thanks, Sokka." She smiled, rubbing one eye.

"Aw, couldn't sleep?" Suki asked.

"Not really, Momo kept trying to burrow his way up to the pillows." She lied.

"Well you better finish off your whole plate to get your energy up. We have a busy day ahead of us."

"Where's Aang?" She asked, noticing the empty chair at the table.

"He's outside meditating," Suki pointed towards the balcony, "I still don't think he's too keen on our little game."

"He'll be fine." Katara reassured, "The four of us have gone up against far worse and come out on top. He's just worrying."

Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun from shining down on the island. The lack of sunshine kept many of the tourists indoors or at the market shopping for the day.

The gang gathered outside of the hotel to go over last minute parameters before beginning their investigation.

"Alright," Sokka began, "Aang and I will take the west side of the island, while Katara and Suki cover the east. Whoever retrieves the most useful information, or, of course, catches this guy, wins the challenge."

The teams shook hands; the couples kissed each other good luck and the two groups headed in opposite directions.

A steady rain began to fall on the island, reminiscent of that in Aang's nightmare.

"What a crummy day." Aang remarked, as he dodged the tourists that were running for cover.

"It's just a little rain, won't be enough to slow us down, right?" Sokka jabbed his partner in the side.

Aang just nodded.

"I know you weren't really on board with this idea, but it's cool hanging out, just the two of us men."

"It's fun." He responded, unconvincingly.

Sokka tried not to take his partner's unenthusiastic attitude too personally, "Are you okay, Aang? You seem a little…off lately. Katara giving you a hard time?" He tried to lighten the mood a bit.

"What…? Oh, no, of course not." Aang forced a laugh, but refused to elaborate any further.

Sokka sensed his unwillingness to talk about whatever was plaguing him so he abandoned the topic and focused on the issue at hand.

The two spent the afternoon vigilantly searching for any clues that would help them find the criminal. Sokka approached several tourists and island residents, using Katara's description of the man, but nobody seemed to know or remember seeing him around the beach.

The rain continued to fall, creating pools of mud along the road.

"This bites." Sokka felt deflated after being unable to acquire any new information on their target. "I hope the girls aren't having better luck than us…" The statement drew a quizzical stare from Aang. "What? Do you _want_ to clean Appa for the next six months!?"

SMACK! Sokka collided with an old, Fire Nation citizen who seemed completely unaware of them, hitting the ground with a thud. "Ahhhh, I just washed these pants! Why don't you watch where you're going!?"

"I apologize," The man said, "I'm in a bit of a rush, you see, I'm need to find somebody."

"We're on a similar mission, coincidentally." Aang said, helping Sokka back to his feet. "Maybe I can help you, I'm the Avatar."

The man began to shrug off the suggestion before ultimately giving in and describing the person that he was searching for. "Well he spends a lot of time down here at the beach. His name's Shin, he's about average height, mid-forties, dark hair, dark eyes, always carries around a handmade bamboo flute, and…"

"Never goes anywhere without his pet sparrowkeet?" Sokka finished the description.

"That's correct. How did you...?"

"It seems as if we're searching for the same man." Aang said.

"I'd be thrilled if you can help me find him; he stays at my apartment building on the outskirts of town, or at least he did until he up and left last night. You believe that? He owes me three and a half months' rent and he sneaks out overnight... That yellow-bellied…"

"You obviously know more about this guy than we do. Why don't you give us some more information and if we find him we'll be sure to make him pay you what you're owed." Sokka suggested.

"Sounds fair enough." The man thought, stroking his chin while thinking of information that may help the two young men, "He's somewhat f a strange fellow; always seems as if he's unaware of his surroundings, almost like he's too deep in his own thoughts to worry about the outside world. It's odd because when he engages in a conversation he comes across as extremely intelligent. But lately he's been keeping to himself; he'll leave for days only to come back in the middle of the night. Always mumbling to himself, some of the tenants even swear that he talks to that bird of his too. Full on conversations."

"Well that's definitely some suspicious behavior," Aang said, "Anything about his past? What did he do before he moved here?"

"I first met him seven or eight years ago. He had just been discharged from the Earth Kingdom army, fought in the Hundred Year War… well until you put an end to it. Said he served for twelve years before finally getting out – saw some crazy things, I'd assume."

"So he's a bender…?" Aang ascertained.

"No. Shin was part of a non-bending platoon. While not as effective as the rest, they were bodies and willing to fight the Fire Nation to help the cause."

"A non-bending platoon?" Sokka repeated, "I'm sure they could feel a bit…underappreciated at times." He guessed, from personal experience.

"Sure could," The man agreed. "I'd heard rumors that he wasn't the biggest fan of benders; don't take him for one to act on those feelings though."

Aang and Sokka shared an uneasy glance, "I think you may be wrong about that. We're looking for him because he tried to hurt my girlfriend, a waterbender."

The man's eyes widened, as if this came as somewhat of a shock, "Did he target her specifically, or…?"

"We believe that he did," Sokka said. "He tried to take her but we stopped him before he got anywhere."

"Seems like you boys need to find Shin more than I. I'll keep my eyes open, but you should probably stay close to your friend… now that I know he's crossed the line, I believe that this man could be very dangerous.

They all bowed to each other before Aang turned to Sokka, "He's right. We should head back to Katara and Suki."

"Agreed. I don't like what I just learned. Besides, we just got a lot of information; I'd say it was a successful afternoon."

They exchanged a quick high-five before turning and heading back to the hotel.

"You know, Aang, I know you're going through some things and all, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be in your situation, the Avatar _and_ the last airbender…" Sokka stopped for a moment and placed a supportive hand on his old friend's shoulder, "but, truthfully, there is nobody I'd rather see with my sister with; it makes me so happy to see your relationship develop over time. And I can't wait to call you 'brother'."

"We're practically already brothers," Aang punched him in the shoulder, before getting more serious, "but thank you, Sokka. That really does means a lot." Aang smiled for the first time that day.

They continued their walk through the rainy marketplace; Sokka noticed a visible change in Aang's attitude. He walked with a familiar lightness to his feet that had been absent for so long, as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders, at least for the time being. Sokka knew that he was the cause of this shift, and considering all the times the young Avatar had helped him over the years, he figured he deserved it.

"By the way, I am digging the beard!"

"Thanks, Sokka! It's finally starting to grow in." Aang tugged at the fragile hair on his chin.

"You think Katara's going to let you keep it?"

"You kidding me? She loves it!"


	5. Chapter Five: The Second Attack

"No, no, no…" Katara laughed, taking a sip of her delicious mango smoothie, "There's no way he's keeping that scruff!"

The hotel café was busy, serving as the hub for tourists trying to decide what to do on such a dreary day. Luckily, Katara and Suki had already claimed their table before the rain began to fall.

"I kind of feel bad for the guys, they're probably getting soaked out there," Suki stared out at the steady rain which seemed to grow in intensity by the hour. "Do you think they'll really make us wash Appa?"

"They can try…" Katara said, devilishly, before tapping her mug with Suki's at their boyfriends' expense.

"I'm glad to see that the attack didn't kill your spirit."

"It was scary, for sure," Katara admitted, "It's easy to forget how vulnerable we really are at times, but now I know who this guy is, my guard is up, and if he tries to harm me again I know that I can take him down."

_Rhetoric_, Suki thought. Her confidence seemed to be faulty, like she was overcompensating. Suki felt like there was something being hidden beneath the surface. Something Katara was afraid to admit and was eating away at her from the inside. In her eyes, Suki could still see panic, apprehension, fear.

"Katara, it's okay to be scared. You and Aang are probably the most powerful couple in the world, but that doesn't mean that you're not allowed to feel fear."

"What? I don't feel…" Katara began to lie, but realized that she was just making things worse. She took a deep breath, her gaze fell to the table, "I _am _afraid, but not for the reasons you think."

"You can tell me," Suki reached out and placed a comforting hand on Katara's, "We're basically sisters.

Katara forced a smile. "You have to promise not to tell Aang…or Sokka."

Suki nodded.

"When I first met that guy he was playing music on the side of the road for money. It was obviously a trick, but I didn't know it at the time. I went over and gave him a few coins and we started talking. He offered me a cup of tea as an act of gratitude."

"You didn't take it…"

Katara's head fell. "He seemed like a nice enough guy, and it was so hot and I was so thirsty. He said it was fresh, herbal tea. But when I drank it I immediately knew something was wrong. It attacked my senses, slowing my reactions and allowing him to chi block me."

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "When you and Sokka forced him to surrender, he put me down, but not before whispering in my ear…"

"What'd he say!?" Suki urged.

"He told me that the tea-…."

CRASH! The glass window at the front of the store shattered as a figure, in all black, jumped through, landing in the middle of the café. Shin looked up at Katara, a familiar smirk on his face. Customers and employees quickly fled form the café, screaming and sheltering their loved ones. Amongst the chaos three figures remained unfazed. Katara and Suki stood together on one side of the room, Shin staring at them from the other.

"It was a mistake coming back here," Katara said, gathering the water from her canteen and holding it in attacking position.

"This time, we won't be letting you go freely." Suki snapped her fans open and took a readying stance.

An uneasy grin crossed the man's face as he stood his ground, shifting his focus from Katara to Suki and back: analyzing, calculating.

Katara and Suki remained disciplined, and waited for the man to strike. The wind from outside blew in through the open window, extinguishing the inside lanterns and casting the café in shadows. Katara watched as the man readied himself: rolled neck, loosened shoulders, clenched fists.

He took two steps to his left and planted his foot on a small table, using the leverage to lift himself up into the air. His momentum carried him towards the girls, who widened their stances and prepared for impact. He came down with an elbow that was easily deflected by Suki before Katara threw a quick water jab.

The man moved quickly, ducking the jab and sending a spinning kick towards his enemy's feet. Katara jumped just before contact, immediately sending another series of water jabs his way.

He back flipped away from the water landing solidly on his feet before taking a small knife out of his robes and charging the non-bender. Suki danced around the man's blade before throwing an elbow block and countering with a fist to the face. The man stumbled backward, barely able to catch his balance before being smacked in the face with a jab of cold water that forced him to the ground, but not for long.

Quickly scrambling to his feet, the man grabbed several flechettes that were tucked in the cloth around his forearm and fired them at the girls. Suki eluded each dart while Katara used her water to catch the projectile and send them back from whence they came.

The man narrowly dodged the counterattack before stepping back to gather himself, his targets doing the same. Each fighter breathed heavily, tasting the salty air as it passed through their lungs. Sweat beaded down their faces, intensity and determination in their eyes. The intermission was just about over; nothing needed to be said, until a splash of water struck the side of the man's face.

"No, get out of here!" Katara yelled as the little girl who had helped her and Suki save Aang from the ocean jumped into the fight.

"I want to help!"

"Get her to safety!" Suki yelled to her partner. "I'll hold him off."

Katara sent a heavy stream of water that struck the man down before collecting it back into her canteen and grabbing the girl.

The man watched form his stomach as Katara ran for the exit before grabbing his knife and throwing it at her back. The projectile was heading directly between her shoulder blades before being intercepted and meekly falling to the ground along with a Kyoshi Warrior fan.

"It's just you and me now, creep." Suki said, just the single fan at the ready, "Looks like another failed mission."

The man jumped to his feet, smiling the same devious smile he had worn before. "You are mistaken, child."

"Your target has escaped. If I were you, I would be trying to do the same."

The man began to chuckle.

"What." Suki spat.

He collected himself and looked at the girl, "The target has changed."

Suki's eyes widened. Shock was immediately overtaken by anger and the will to survive. She charged the man, leaping and connecting with a devastating dropkick that sent him tumbling to the ground. She landed gracefully before standing over Shin and grabbing him by the robes.

"What do you want from us!?" She yelled.

The man again began to laugh at her.

She smacked him into the ground before picking him back up and asking again.

He was now laughing uncontrollably until he wasn't. His demeanor shifted as if someone had flipped a switch in his head. He suddenly collected himself and spoke in a serious manner. "You are the means to an end. That is all."

Un-amused by his cryptic words, she picked him up to his feet and pushed him into the nearby wall, "What do you want with him?"

"Why, you're a very perceptive, young lady."

"Katara and I share only two common denominators, and I don't think that you're after my boyfriend."

"You are correct in that assumption."

"So what do you want?"

"You will find out in due time." He smiled, looking down to hand.

At the same time Suki felt a surge of pain in her abdomen. She looked down and watched at the man withdrew the needle from her skin. Black clouds began to invade her vision; she felt her grip of the man involuntarily loosen. She grabbed her head in agony as someone had begun repeatedly striking her skull with a mallet. Her legs began to buckle under her weight, unable to hold her up. She looked up at her assailant, he wasn't smiling any longer. He just stared into her eyes as she began to lose control, drifting in and out of consciousness until finally submitting.

"You… you sonuva…" She fell limply into his body.

"No!" Katara rushed through the entrance ready to rejoin the battle but was devastated at what she found.

Anger built up inside of her. The sight of Suki's limp body in his arms had her stomach churning. Part of her wished that there had been a full moon in the sky, but she had the next best thing. She quickly composed herself before beginning to move in a series of fluid movements, almost like a dance.

The man watched as the sedative ritual put him in a sort of a calming trance, until finally realizing what the young waterbender was doing.

"Oh no." He began to run for the exit but it was too late.

Katara raised her arms towards the sky and he watched as the ocean lent its water to the bender, until she was holding a small wave above her head.

"You use that, your friend drowns too."

"I'll save her. Not you."

"Then how will you reverse the effects?" He grinned his most fiendish grin. He knew he had her.

Katara's eyes widened, contradictory thoughts flooded her mind as she lost focus, hesitating just long enough for Shin to grab his last flechette and send it spiraling towards her.

She watched the dart travel towards her in slow motion. She desperately released the water, sending it towards her assailant, but it was too late. The flechette sliced through the side of her neck and she fell to the ground, helplessly watching Shin escaping through a side window with Suki before the water fell gently to the ground.

Three feet of water covered the floor of the café, severely burning the wound on Katara's neck.

"Katara!" Aang waded through the water and grabbed his girlfriend, immediately noticing the blood gushing out of her neck.

Exhaustion overcame her as she fell into his grasp, the water around them beginning to turn a shade of red.

"This is a bad wound we need to get her help." He tore off a piece of his robe and held it to her neck.

"Katara was it the same… Wait…" Sokka searched the room, "Katara, where's- what happened to…?" He looked to his sister, urging her for a good response.

"She's gone." She looked up to her brother, tears welling in both of their eyes, "He took her, Sokka."


	6. Chapter Six: The Tea Maker

"Sokka, I am so sorry." Katara approached her brother, who was standing on the balcony staring out over the vast, blue ocean. "I had to save the girl, I thought he had come for me…"

"Katara," Sokka turned around and gripped her shoulders, looking directly into her eyes, "this is _not_ your fault. And don't you think for a second that it is."

She hugged him hard, "We _will_ get her back, Sokka, I promise."

"I know, Katara, I know." He unsuccessfully tried to fight back tears as he dug his head into his little sister's shoulder.

The bedroom door swung open and Aang entered the living area, throwing items into a small bag, focus written on his face.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"I need advice, wisdom. I obviously don't understand our enemy as well as I should."

"Are you going to ask Roku?"

"No. I need to go to someone who understands military life, someone who can help me get inside this guy's head."

"I'm going with you." Katara said.

Aang nodded, gently taking her hand. "What about you, Sokka?"

He shook his head, "No. I'm staying here. I need to do whatever I can to find Suki. No way Shin's already gotten off the island."

"Understood. We'll be back soon, and we'll end this. Good luck."

The friends bowed to each other before embracing in a quick hug, Katara skipped the bowing and kissed her brother on the cheek.

"Hang in there, we'll take this guy down." The wounded demeanor that Katara had been exhibiting all week had suddenly transformed. She was now angry, determined, and ready to fight for her friends.

Sokka could not only sense a major change in his sister, but also Aang. Out at the market he seemed down, even aloof at times. Now, though, he was sharp, focused – bent on stopping this madness before anyone was seriously hurt.

Appa sailed over the Earth Kingdom capital city until gently descending upon his destination. The Jasmine Dragon was overflowing with customers; the line to get in stretched out the door and around the corner, well into the busy streets of Ba Sing Se. Aang and Katara forced their way to the front door.

"Hey!" One man yelled from the line, "Just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you can cut in line!"

"Yeah, you have to wait like the rest of us!" Another man barked in agreement.

"I'm not here for tea, I just need to speak to the owner." Aang urged.

The people in line reluctantly allowed him entry, as if they had a choice, as he and Katara entered the building and made their way towards the back.

"Wow these people are really serious about their tea." Katara remarked, under her breath.

"Have you tasted his tea? It's phenomenal!"

"Avatar Aang!" A familiar voice called out, "what brings you to the Jasmine Dragon? Date night for you and Katara?"

"No, Uncle Iroh," Aang bowed to his good friend, "unfortunately this visit is not under pleasant circumstances. I know you're very busy at the moment, but I promise we just need a few…"

"Nonsense!" The old man scoffed. "That's what employees are for. What kind of man would I be if I turned away the Avatar in a time of need?" He smiled, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder and escorting him to a small, private table in the kitchen. "So, what's troubling you?"

"We've had a run in with a man…he tried to take Katara, and now he's taken Suki." They could see the concern grow in the old man's eyes, "It's obvious that he's attacking my friends to get to me, but I don't get it; I've never met this man, I have no idea he who is…I don't know what he wants from me."

"Hmmm…." Iroh scratched his gray beard, "Aang, this may be hard for you to hear; you are a genuinely good person who believes that all people and creatures also share such goodness in their hearts. But they don't. Some people in this world are just…evil. It's the natural balance of things; a Yin for every Yang. There are some who are irrevocably good, moral people but they are balanced by those who are…morally ambiguous. "

Aang and Katara looked at the man, somewhat confused.

"What I'm trying to say is that sometimes there is no clear motive, sometimes a person is just bad."

Aang took in the information before continuing, "I came to you because we met a man who claimed that this guy was military: he fought during the Hundred Years' War. The man said that since the war he's taken somewhat of a stance against benders, he doesn't like them."

Iroh furrowed his brow as he continued to stroke his beard with more intensity; this new information seemed to trouble the old man. "The White Lotus has heard some rumors of rumblings in the underworld regarding an anti-bender movement."

"Anti-bender!?" Katara couldn't believe such a group existed.

He nodded, "We believe that they're calling themselves 'Equalists'. They're mission is to abolish benders from the world, therein creating an equal playing field for all humans."

Aang and Katara shared an uneasy glance before Iroh continued.

"You see, so long as there are those who possess powerful bending abilities, there will be those who envy them. It is human nature to envy and fear what you do not possess or truly understand. As the Avatar, the symbolic leader of the benders, you will always be the greatest threat, and therefore a target, to these people."

Aang dropped his head to his chest.

"But Aang fights for peace for all people, not just benders." Katara said, holding the young Avatar's arm.

"Ahh, but you are using a logical argument to counter an illogical movement. Most non-benders accept their roles in the world and live peacefully with the benders. Look at Sokka and Suki; they have turned their weakness into their greatest strength. They have trained hard to reach their highest potential and, in doing so, have realized how important they are to the natural order of things. But there are those who are too weak to reach this potential; instead they feel they were cheated and can become very dangerous."

Aang didn't like what he was hearing, "And you think that our enemy is one of these people…and Equalist?"

Iroh thought for a moment, "I can't say for sure. From what we have heard, the Equalist movement is in its infancy. They do not have the resources, manpower, or backing to support such an attack at this stage."

"So you're saying that this guy may have gone rogue…" Katara said, "Taken things into his own hands."

Iroh nodded.  
>"The man Sokka and I spoke to said that he was part of a non-bending Earth Kingdom platoon." Aang said, "Do those exist?"<p>

"Oh yes," Iroh thought back to his days in the military, "we came across many of these platoons throughout the war. They were mostly used as bait, but, ironically, they were sometimes tougher to fight than the benders. They were intelligent, precise; you never knew how they were going to battle, whereas you knew exactly what to expect form the earthbenders. But, they didn't get the respect that they deserved…from my troops or their own people."

"That must've been awful," Katara found herself momentarily sympathizing with her enemy, "to give your heart, your spirit to a cause and be thought of in such low regard. It's no wonder he joined the Equalists."

"This new information does make a bit more sense, though…"

"What do you mean?" Aang asked him to elaborate.

"There have been tales, " Iroh began, "that many of the soldiers that survived the war have not come back as same person that they left as. They say that some of them have not truly left the war, emotionally."

"So the war has taken a long-term, psychological effect on them?" Aang clarified.

Iroh nodded. "You have to understand what most of these soldiers went through during those years; what they saw… it pains me to think that I may have caused so much turmoil for so many." He recoiled at the thought.

"I never considered the effects that fighting in such a war could have on the mind." Katara thought aloud.

"But you must realize, there are varying results. Some hide form the world; some seek some sort of justice from the world… You have to be careful because it is hard to predict how these people will act. Many latch onto something, a person, an animal, an object, an idea… it serves as their totem, keeping their sanity in tact. If you can find this, your enemy may lose control and reveal his vulnerability."

Aang and Katara looked to each other, a realization in their expression, "Thank you, Uncle Iroh. I knew that you would show us the way." Aang stood and respectfully bowed to the man, a new sense of urgency in him.

"Always, young Avatar." He smiled as Katara leaned over the table and kissed him softly on the cheek before bowing and heading back to Ember Island.


	7. Chapter Seven: The Invitation

The ominous clouds of the previous day drifted on, allowing the sun to shine uninterrupted on the mountainous island. Appa calmly sailed through the warm, salty air, landing just in front of the hotel where Sokka had already been waiting for them.

"Find what you're looking for?" He asked, helping his sister off the off the giant sky bison.

"We did." Aang smiled at Katara, "Anything happen while we were gone?"

"Oh yes," Sokka's tone promised something important. He reached into his robes and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. "It's addressed to you."

Aang unfolded the parchment and held it so that everyone could see. Black ink covered the entirety of the parchment; it was a letter, handwritten in neatly organized symbols and, as Sokka had mentioned, personally addressed to Aang.

_Dear Avatar,_

_ As you must know by now, I have taken one of your own. This isn't the first time that I have meddled in your affairs, but I promise that it will be the last. The Keyoshi warrior has done her heritage proudly, but as of now her fate lies in your hands. You can ensure her safety with the decision that you make tomorrow, at dawn – the same spot that I first met your precious watertribe girl._

_ See you soon,_

_ Shin_

Sokka shook off the cool chill that ran up his spine, "I'll kill that…"

"Killing him won't get Suki back." Aang advised.

"What do we do then, Aang!?" Anger and grief quickly took hold of Sokka.

"Participate." Aang said, "We play his little game. It's the only way."

Katara and Sokka shifted uneasily, neither too keen on allowing their enemy to control the playing board.

"What's this decision he's referring to?" Sokka asked.

Aang shrugged, "From everything we've learned about this guy, though, I'm willing to bet it's something cruel and sadistic."

Katara remained silent, knowing exactly what the decision would entail, but still finding herself unable to bring it up to Aang. _I still have one more night._

Not many words were spoken that night. The trio sat in a small booth at the back of a quiet restaurant across from the hotel. Sokka prodded his meat with his fork, unable to keep his mind off of his captured girlfriend. Aang stared out the window and watched the groups of tourists enjoy their vacation, the same way he and his friends expected to when they left for Ember Island. Katara twirled her hair, unable to speak; knowing that anything she said other than revealing the truth would just be compounding upon the lie.

Finally, they decided to retire to their rooms early and attempt to get any shred of sleep before dawn, knowing full well that they would get none. Sokka walked into his room without saying a word. Katara led Aang into their room, falling on the bed without even changing into their nightwear. She rolled onto her side so that she was staring at his profile. She traced his jawline with her finger before scooting closer and placing a hand over his chest. He lifted his arm to allow her to comfortably place her head on his shoulder, letting it fall along the curve of her back.

No words were spoken for hours. They laid together, allowing the sound of the waves outside to calm their minds, although both their minds were anything but calm. This seemed to be the norm since the beginning of their vacation. The crescent moon slowly danced from one side of the night sky to the other, although not full, Katara felt the strength that it supplied her. _Strength. _She knew it was time.

"Aang. Aang I need to tell you something."

"Hmm… what's that, sweetie?" He whispered.

She hesitated before beginning, "I think I know the decision that Shin referred to."

This seemed to catch Aang's interest, at least as much interest as one can have at four in the morning.

"It's hard for me to talk about…that's why I haven't brought it up to you…"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, sweetie."

"I know," She used her finger to draw random shapes on his chest. "But this one is…the implications are…"

"Katara," He said, gently grasping her hand in his, "it's aright if you're not comfortable talking about this. You can tell me when you're ready… or I guess Shin will tell me tomorrow." He almost laughed.

She leaned over and kissed him beneath the jaw. "I just…it's big, sweetie." She said uneasily, unsure if she was conveying just how _big_ it really was.

"How much have we been through together, Katara?" He asked rhetorically. "No matter how big this is we'll get through it together. We will _always_ get through it together."

Katara smiled for the first time in days, wondering how she was so lucky to have found that iceberg eight years earlier, before finally drifting off to sleep.

Aang's mind relaxed for the first time since they left for vacation, wondering how he was so lucky to have been woken up in Katara's arms, before finally drifting off to sleep.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Decision

The sun peeked out, above the horizon, casting an orange glow over the early morning waves. The grass was slick with dew as the shop owners prepared for the day's business. Birds sang beautiful medleys that travelled through the air; an ironic start to such an unnerving day.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka arrived at the meeting place early and anxiously waited for their adversary.

"What if he doesn't show?" Sokka nervously paced in a circle.

"He'll show." Aang reassured, sitting cross-legged in the dirt.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you need all the players to play the game. He wants me; abandoning us would not help his mission."

Sokka tried to ease his mind, for just a moment, his stomach turning, "What if…"

"There!" Katara yelled pointing to the sky.

A small, green bird circled them ten feet above.

"A sparrowkeet!" Sokka yelled.

"His sparrowkeet." Aang said, slowly rising to his feet. "Let's follow it; I'm sure this is all part of the charade."

The trio grabbed their few belongings and trailed the bird as it soared through the morning sky. It flew for miles, leading them far inland, well away from the beach, before finally stopping at the edge of one of Ember Island's famous volcanoes.

It took them over an hour to climb to the mountain's peak. Katara arrived at the top first, turning and offering a hand to Aang, who smirked as she pulled him up and over the lip of the volcanoes mouth. The heat smacked him in the face, as he coughed a few times before seeing a shadowy figure through the smoke and haze.

"Welcome," The figure called out, stepping through the smog and revealing himself to the group.

"Shin, if Suki's hurt I promise I will end you!" Sokka warned.

"Don't fret, you're girlfriend is just fine…for now."

Sokka took a step towards the man before Aang intercepted him, "We need to play the game."

Sokka defiantly threw Aang's hands off of him and reluctantly stepped back, allowing Aang to take charge.

"Good choice," Shin chided, "As I was saying, Suki will be fine…or she may die. Ultimately, it's up to you, Avatar."

Aang stared at the man, unfazed, until Shin elaborated.

"You see, I have two things that are of immense interest to you: your friend, the warrior, as well as the antidote."

"Antidote?" Aang's brow furrowed.

Shin's eyes widened, a devilish grin encompassing his face, "You mean she didn't tell you?"

Aang turned to Katara who just dropped her head. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she pleaded her case, but Aang could hardly understand.

"Silence." Shin yelled, "Since you did not think it important enough, I will tell the young Avatar of our first encounter. You see," He began, "Katara was nice enough to give a poor street musician a few coins for his troubles. Unfortunately, it was a ruse, set up by yours truly. I offered her a refreshing cup of tea, which she gladly accepted. But she did not understand to true effect of the tea until later."

"Which was?" Aang stared at Shin, hatred building inside, sweat beginning to bead down his face.

"The tea was used to render her infertile. As of now she is unable to bear a child."

Anger. Shock. Despair. A overabundance of emotions flooded Aang's mind. He couldn't move, couldn't think. He only tried to remain composed, to continue to prod his adversary for information.

"Why? What do you want from me!?" He yelled, smoke emanating from his hand as his staff began to catch fire.

Shin celebrated the Avatar's turmoil. "I spent twelve years in a war brought upon by benders. Each day I was subject to ridicule and discrimination. I was being used as bait – there was no plausible way that I, nor any other non-bender, could defeat the Fire Lord. But the Avatar? He who can master all four elements? You came along and ended a war that was only in existence because of an overpowered, egotistical line of benders."

Aang listened to the story, so much of it true.

"It got me thinking, who's to stop another maniacal bender from popping up and causing chaos?

"Me." Aang replied.

"Ahh, but what if he is you? You're the most powerful bender in the world, the most overpowered of us all. Who could stop you from taking over should you go rogue?"

"We can." Katara and Sokka stepped up, supporting their friend.

Shin began to laugh uncontrollably. "You actually believe that you could stop him? You with your water, and you with your boomerang?" He wiped a tear from his eye.

"The Avatar works to maintain peace, not to cause destruction."

"Until he does." He urged.

Aang began to see the flaws in his argument. There was no reasoning with this man. "Get on with it, Shin. What do you want?"

"What _I_ want?" He placed a hand on his chest, " What I want is to show all the non-benders, all the powerless citizens of the world that we no longer have to fight your wars and live in a bender-ruled world. We can take control of our lives and create an equal playing field for all. We don't have to be afraid anymore."

"What have you done…?" Aang spoke softly.

"I've beaten you. I've backed you into a corner. I've defeated the Avatar." Shin laughed. "I have two things that you want desperately. They are both hidden somewhere on the island but both will be underwater and lost to the ocean at high tide."

Sokka clenched his fists.

"You can either choose to save your friend and be forced to leave the love of your life or sacrifice the future of your race, or you can choose to get the antidote and save the Air Nation, but lose your friend and the love of this man's life."

Aang's head dropped, suddenly realizing the extremely high stakes of this terrible game.

"Of course, there is a third choice… One that will allow you to save both your friend and your love, and your race."

"What!? Tell me!"

"You could kill me. Right here in cold blood." He said calmly. "It goes against your moral code, everything the monks taught you as a child. But even I know that right now you're wondering to yourself, _is it worth it?"_

Aang was gripped by paralysis. He stared at Shin, who smiled victoriously from the mouth of the volcano. _It would be so easy. _

"What will it be, Avatar?"

"Unfortunately for you, I don't live by the same morals." Sokka yelled, charging the man and tackling him to the ground before scrambling to his feet and grabbing Shin by the robes. "I will give you one chance to do the honorable thing…"

Shin remained silent. Sokka cocked his arm and delivered a massive punch, his fist colliding with the man's jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Shin spat blood before looking to Sokka, "I wouldn't do this."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't…" He pulled him up by his collar.

"Nakama will only show you the way should the Avatar kill me. If you were to kill me, you would lose both your friend and the antidote."

Sokka cursed as he threw the man to the ground.

"So… still waiting on you, Avatar." Shin used his arm to wipe away the blood flowing out of his mouth.

"I can't…"

"What do you mean, Aang? We need to save Suki!" Sokka pleaded.

"What do you want from me?" He yelled to Shin, "You want to beat me? Fine, you have. You've beaten me. You've defeated the Avatar. You've won! Please," He begged, "don't make me choose."

Shin stared at the Avatar, watching the tears well in his eyes, listening to the desperation in his voice, watching him grovel… it exulted him. "Clock's ticking, Avatar."

"Aang, I know you don't want to, but you have to kill him, it's the only way." Sokka urged.

"I can't kill…There has to be another way." He grabbed his head as it began to throb, as if someone continuously struck him with a mallet. His vision became hazy. He dropped to his knees. The voices of ten thousand airbenders flooded his mind; urging him to honor their existence, rebuild their heritage. Sokka pleaded with him to save Suki, he couldn't lose another – it would break him. Throbbing. Throbbing.

Two soft, comforting hands held his gripped his face.

He opened his eyes; Katara knelt next to him, gently lifting his head so that she could look into his gray eyes, "You don't have to do this alone. We'll get through this together. _Always._"

She held him in close, his head resting against her cheek. His mind began to clear. He could see his options in front of him. Was one life worth the future of an entire race? Was that his decision to make? How could he even think that? It's Suki. His friend. Just like Sokka, Katara, and Toph. Just like Zuko and Iroh. Iroh. Iroh…

_"Many latch onto something, a person, an animal, an object, an idea… it serves as their totem, keeping their sanity in tact. If you can find this, your enemy may lose control and reveal his vulnerability…"_

He opened his eyes and stared at Shin. He was still smirking an arrogant, victorious smirk. Watching…waiting…waiting for a decision. Waiting to win. That stupid bird sitting atop his shoulder…stupid bird…bird. _It serves as a totem._

"That's it!"

Aang kissed Katara before jumping to his feet.

"So, what's your decision, Avatar."

"Nakama."

"What?"

Aang spun, bending the water from Katara's canteen and whipping it out towards his enemy. Shin ducked, but the water was not meant for him. It reached for his shoulder, grabbing the sparrowkeet and bringing it back to Aang's grasp.

"What…No! That wasn't a choice!" Shin staggered a bit, reaching for the bird, without realizing that he was standing yards away from them. "You…you can't. You're cheating! Nakama, please…No, no, no…you're bluffing." He laughed, trying to regain his composure and control over the situation. "You're still an Air Nomad, all life is precious to you. You won't hurt her."

"No, I won't. But unfortunately, Sokka doesn't share my morals…nor is he a vegetarian. And I know he skipped breakfast to be here." Aang handed the bird to Sokka who accepted it, a wild grin on his face.

"I've never tasted sparrowkeet before."

Shin fell to his knees in agony. "Please, Avatar, you can't let him… I'm begging you."

Unlike Shin, Aang did not revel in his enemy's desperate groveling. "Will you bring us to both locations?"

The man jerked, fighting an internal battle with himself. "No! You must choose; I must defeat you!"

Sokka ran a finger down the bird's wing before taking hold of a single feather. He pulled it ever so slightly.

"No, no please!"

He didn't relent, tugging on the feather.

"You can't, not Nakama…"

Sokka continued to pull, the bird beginning to chirp, pleading her owner to save her.

"I ca- You know that I want to- I was supposed to win…Okay!" He screamed, his head dropping to his chest in failure.

"You'll show us where you're holding Suki _and _the antidote?" Aang clarified.

"Yes. I'll show you. Just please…give me Nakama."

"Not until I have what I want." Aang took the bird back from Sokka, amazed at the accuracy of Iroh's wisdom. The man, who had been so calculated, so sure of himself, had fallen apart, right in front of their eyes.

"Very well," He spoke quickly, "That's fair, that's fa- Nakama, show them the way."

Aang took out his bison whistle and summoned Appa who gladly carried them through the air, following the small, green sparrowkeet to their destination. Shin was forced to come along for the ride. He sat in Appa's saddle, rocking in the fetal position. "I lost…he won, I lost…the Avatar, I had him beat…but he won. I lost."


	9. Chapter Nine: The Aftermath

Exhaustion set in as the gang waited for the chief of police outside the station. Sokka hadn't allowed Suki from his side since he pulled her from an approaching tide just hours before. Similarly, rather than pushing Aang and Katara apart, the threat had brought them even closer than ever. Aang understood Katara's unwillingness to approach him about the tea and accepted that he would have been defeated if it had not been for her comfort during his time of need.

"Don't worry, Avatar Aang," The chief of the Ember Island police finally approached the group, "This sicko will be staring at the inside of a cell for a very long time." He grabbed Shin by the scruff and pulled him towards the station.

"No." Aang said, shocking everyone. "This man has done some truly awful things, but he is not right, mentally or emotionally. I want him transported to Fire Lord Zuko; he is constructing a special hospital for those who have dealt with emotional trauma in efforts to restore and rehabilitate those like his sister. They will help him there."

"I guess you expect me to thank you?" Shin, who had been reunited with Nakama, spat.

"No. Instead I would like to thank _you_." Aang said, again drawing shock from everyone. "You challenged me in a manner that I have never been tested before: psychologically. You made me stronger. While you took your beliefs to an extreme, the bases of your philosophies are very real dangers and a big problem in society. I promise you, Shin, I will work tirelessly to make sure that non-benders are treated equally and fairly, so long as I'm the Avatar. And as far as my own motives…" He looked back to his friends, reaching for Katara's hand, "I think they'll keep me in check."

"Also, it was also nice to find out about the Equalist movement," Sokka bragged, "I'm sure your little charade set them back half a decade."

With that, Aang nodded to the chief and watched as he took Shin away, hoping that Zuko's doctors could truly rehabilitate him and restore his sanity.

Dinner was quiet. Nobody had the energy to go out to eat at a restaurant, so the gang stayed in their hotel suite, eating leftovers from the night before. Suki and Sokka laid together on the couch, while Katara rested on Aang's lap in an adjacent chair. Sokka watched as she twisted her torso, feeding Aang noodles that ended up all over his face. They laughed together before she took a napkin and gently wiped the grease off of his cheeks.

He took special interest in the handmade betrothal necklace adorned around her neck. Aang had come to him the night he made his decision. It wasn't long after he took down Ozai, maybe a few years. He approached Sokka after Katara and Suki had gone off to the market. He told Sokka that he loved Katara more than anything and wanted to spend all of his life with her. Sokka had been waiting for this conversation for years; he knew the extent of their relationship and loved them both. He threw his arms around his old friend and told him that he couldn't see either of them with anybody else.

The next time they visited the South Pole, he escorted Aang to his father, who couldn't be prouder that the Avatar wanted his daughter's hand in marriage. He gave him his blessing, but told him that, ultimately, this was Katara's decision, but he had no doubt that he would soon call Aang his son.

Sokka taught Aang how to style a betrothal necklace. They spent all day carving until finally, Aang forged one he felt was worthy to place around Katara's neck. He was there when Aang presented Katara with it; he had never seen such joy in his sister – a feeling that he would like to share someday.

Unbeknownst to Aang, Sokka had also made a necklace that day and has carried it in his robes everyday since.

"You know, for all the bad that Shin brought us, there is something that I would like to thank him for." Sokka exclaimed, hand sweating around the necklace in his robes.

"You too?" Katara said, teasing both he and Aang.

Sokka maneuvered around the couch so that he and Suki faced each other, sitting cross-legged.

"Every minute that you were gone, Suki, I thought I was going to lose it. It made me realize what was really important to me. The thought of… living without you…it was no longer an option."

Suki placed her plate of rice on the table, but missed. The bowl tumbled to the ground and shattered all over the floor. Nobody noticed; Aang and Katara were too distracted from watching the scene unfold from across the room in anticipation.

Sokka pulled his arm out of his robe and presented the perfect, handmade betrothal necklace.

"Sokka," Suki could barely speak, "It's beautiful."

"I want to be with you forever."

"Me too." A small tear streamed down her cheek as she leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth before holding up her hair to allow him to tie the necklace around her neck.

Katara, a tear in her eye as well, planted a tender kiss on Aang's lips before rushing over to Suki and wrapping her arms around her.

Aang approached Sokka and the friends shook hands, in Southern Water Tribe tradition, before embracing in a quick hug, "Congratulations, buddy. We're officially one big family."


	10. Epilogue

Several Years Later

Three days of snow buried the young metropolis of Republic City in a blanket of snow, essentially shutting down the city for days. Katara and Aang gladly fixed a spare room for Sokka and Suki who had only planned to visit for the afternoon, but ended up staying for several nights. Aang didn't mind, he enjoyed the company – it made him nostalgic, thinking back to their countless adventures.

The fireplace roared, as the children wreaked havoc on the living area. The adults watched the older kids gang up on three-year-old Tenzin, Aang and Katara's youngest.

"C'mon, guys, leave Tenzin alone." Sokka tried to corral one of his own, but to no avail.

"It's okay, Sokka," Katara said, braiding Kya's hair, "His dad will rescue him."

She looked over to Aang who stood up and began to make his way over to the children.

"You better hurry," Suki joked, "I think he's getting angry…"

"Stop it, Bumi! It's not funny, anymore…" Anger began to build up inside the boy, "Leave. Me. Alone!" Baby Tenzin's yelled, clenching his fists and violently throwing his arms out to shove his older brother.

Bumi dodged his little brother's attack, but could not elude the vicious gust of wind that caught him flush, sending him careening into the wall across the room.

Silence fell over the room. Sokka and Suki shared a shocked glance before quickly turning their attention to Katara, then Aang. Speechless, Katara looked at her husband in amazement. She watched as he fell back into his chair and just stared at his child. He looked to Katara, a tear rolling down his cheek, and just smiled. She walked over and rested in his lap. They looked to each other and laughed before she hugged him hard; he buried his head in her neck, his emotions somewhere between relief and elation. Katara could feel the stress, anxiety, and pressure that had been building up for so many years instantly disappear. His tension melted away.

Sokka and Suki, both holding back tears of their own, waited an appropriate amount of time before embracing their family.

"C'mon," Aang finally said, "We need to commemorate this moment with one of those photos."

Suki offered to take the snapshot, and waited as Aang and Katara readied their family. Katara straightened Kya's dress; Aang picked Bumi up to his feet and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, laughing at the fight his eldest put up. Sokka scooped up baby Tenzin and handed him over to his father as Aang and Bumi found their places next to Katara and Kya.

"Okay…ready?" Suki asked, staring through the new technology.

"Ready!" Bumi and Kaya yelled.

"On three. One…Two…Three"

Snap.

A small light flashed as, almost immediately, the picture was discharged from the camera.

"Aunt Suki, let me see first!" Bumi ran over, followed quickly by Kya.

Aang placed Tenzin on the floor and watched him run after his brother and sister. Three beautiful children. _What more could a man ask for, _he thought before turning his gaze to Katara.

"What?" She asked, returning his gaze.

He stared into her deep, blue eyes, just as he had when she pulled him from the iceberg, "Thank you for going penguin sledding with me."

Her jaw tightened as she unsuccessfully fought back a flood of tears before gripping Aang's neck, pulling him close, and kissing him hard on the lips. Breathless, she looked up to her best friend, her husband, meeting his gray eyes, "Always."


End file.
